Ghanaian Economist, Professor Lord Mensah, expects the impending strike of the Association of Mobile Money Agents to have adverse effects on the economy.
According to him, a strike by the Association will see a slowdown in transactions, inadvertently causing a pause in economic dealings as most businesses and individuals rely on them to operate.
“We need to understand that Ghana’s economy is evolving and has reached the level where most transactions are carried out on digital or electronic platforms. Hence a strike by major players in the sector will affect the economy because transactions will slow down,” he told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show.
He revealed that the speed at which money moves plays a major role in economic development and that if the strike goes on indefinitely, it will have a toll on the economy and urged the government to reach a compromise on the e-levy rate.
Professor Lord Mensah noted that a possible disinterest in the usage of electronic transactions can occur if the government goes ahead to implement the e-levy “and the government’s investments made in the technological space and e-platforms will not yield the dividends expected.”
The Association of Mobile Money Agents has threatened to embark on strike against the controversial e-levy starting from Thursday, December 23, 2021.
The Association says the levy is “regressive” and threatens the survival of their business.
The Association has thus set Thursday, December 23, 2021, to stage a demonstration against the government’s planned introduction of a 1.75% e-levy.
They added that their operators will also not work on the said date as a result of the demonstration.